Renaissance Drama and the English Church Year

Synopsis

Evidence encouraging a new and productive approach to Renaissance drama has long been available in the records of Renaissance court perfon-nances compiled by E. K. Chambers and Gerald Eades Bentley.' Over fifty years ago Chambers noticed the persistent correlation between the dates of dramatic performance at Elizabeth's court and certain liturgical festivals of the English church year. Whether in Whitehall or elsewhere, the twelve days of Christmas from the Nativity to the Epiphany, were a season of high revels.... Twelfth Night [6 Jan.] itself, with St. Stephen's [26 Dec.] , St. John's [27 Dec.], Innocents' [28 Dec.], and New Year's Day [circumcision], were regularly appointed for plays and masks, which often overflowed on to other nights during the period.... The revels were renewed for Candlemas [2 Feb.] and for Shrovetide [Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday] , either at the Christmas headquarters or at some other palace to which the court had meanwhile removed. . . . Easter, with the distribution of alms and washing of feet on Maunday Thursday, and Whitsuntide, were kept as ecclesiastical, rather than secular feasts. [1: 19-201 Gradually emerging during the sixteenth century, this calendar tradition seems to have peaked in the period 1570-85, continued strong until Elizabeth's death, diminished and changed somewhat during the Jacobean and Caroline periods, and then disappeared completely after 1640.

Copyright:

1979

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

116 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780803223042

Publisher:

University of Nebraska Press

Date of Addition:

05/07/03

Copyrighted By:

University of Nebraska Press

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

Nonfiction, Literature and Fiction, Religion and Spirituality, Drama, Plays and Theater, Language Arts

Submitted By:

Amber W

Proofread By:

Dr. Kenneth Cross

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.